By Daily Mail (U.S.) | Created at 2025-01-20 16:36:36 | Updated at 2025-01-20 20:57:33
4 hours ago
New Yorkers have been plagued with a deadly subway surfing trend, and even though officials have continued to warn against the daredevil stunt, the dangerous game has spread nationwide.
A video of two people perched atop a Metrorail train in Miami has gone viral, and locals are expressing concern that the fatal trend has gained traction in their city.
The Instagram account Only in Dade first posted the video, which showed one individual lying face down on top of the train while another sat cross-legged.
It's unclear how they were able to get on top of the train, but the clip showed both 'subway surfers' holding on while the train sped away.
Social media users condemned the dangerous stunt, with one commenting: 'So many kids have died from this.'
'Looks like a dare that's about to go wrong…' another added.
'Subway surfing not cool smh,' a third wrote.
Others pointed out that the trend is taking off in New York City.
'New Yorkers are at it again. THIS AINT NYC,' one warned.
'People in NY were doing this, they called it surfing and some people got hurt and some people died this is really dangerous…' another added.
The individuals pictured on the Metrorail held on as the train left the station
Officials warned that riding on top of the train could be fatal and those caught doing so would be arrested
Miami-Dade County's Department of Transportation & Public Works warned that riding on top of trains is illegal and individuals caught would be arrested.
'Entering the Metrorail Guideway and climbing on top of vehicles is not only illegal and can lead to arrest and prosecution, but extremely dangerous and can result in death and the injury of others,' the agency said in a statement.
'Please, under no circumstances, enter the track area or climb on top of vehicles. Safety is a shared responsibility and we ask all riders to say something if they see something. Thank you.'
The dangerous trend heightened in 2023 and 2024 in New York City after videos of 'subway surfers' went viral on social media.
Six people died attempting the dangerous stunt in 2024, while five died in 2023. The death toll in 2023 was equivalent to the total number of deaths between 2018 and 2022.
The six who died last year were all minors aged 11 through 15. They died riding on the A, F, G, M, 6, and 7 trains in Brooklyn, the Bronx, and Queens.
One of youngsters killed was 11-year-old Cayden Thompson, who hit his head while riding on top of the G train in Brooklyn.
His uncle, Christian Vega, 15, also subway surfed and confessed to CBS News that the adrenaline rush was addicting.
'It's really easy to get hooked onto that stuff because once you do it, nothing ever's gonna top it off, like that adrenaline rush you get. I can't really put it into words,' he said.
Christian told the outlet that he would never subway surf again and pleaded with other kids to stop the stunt. 'It's not worth your life,' he said.
The dangerous trend heightened in 2023 and 2024 in New York City after videos of 'subway surfers' went viral on social media
A recent viral video showed two individuals riding on the Metrorail in Miami
After Zackery Nazario, 15, died subway surfing in 2023, his mother, Norma, sought justice from TikTok and Meta.
She sued the companies along with New York City's transit agency, the MTA, for failing to address the risk of subway surfing. The Social Media Victims Law Center represented the Nazario family and argued that the social media companies were responsible for 'promoting and profiting' off of the viral content.
The group also said that the MTA doesn't lock subway doors to prevent riders from moving through cars or have safety barriers on the train roofs, thus failing to prevent risk of harm.
Y'Vonda Maxwell echoed criticism of the MTA after her son, Ka'Von died while riding on top of a J train.
'I have seen this happen since the '80s. I am sick of it. I want the MTA to do something about it,' she told the New York Times.
In 2023, the MTA partnered with the NYPD and New York City students to promote a campaign discouraging kids from riding on top of subways.
DailyMail.com reached out to Miami police and the Department of Transportation & Public Works for comment.
